Coal news and updates

Coal exports from the three terminals in Virginia's Hampton Roads region fell to 3,632,800 st in January, down 15.5% compared with the year-ago month, according to figures released Tuesday by the Virginia Maritime Association.

 

While the terminals and the association do not comment on monthly export data, the decline likely reflects the end of some contracts dating from periods of higher prices as well as an excess of supply in global metallurgical and thermal coal markets, observers said.

 

The US Energy Information Administration estimates US coal exports will total 105 million st in 2014, compared with an estimated 118 million st in 2013. The US exported a record 126 million st in 2012.

 

In January, Lambert's Point exported 1,220,590 st, down 14.6% from December and down 12.7% from January 2013. The terminal is owned and operated by Norfolk, Virginia-based Norfolk Southern.

 

Pier IX, owned and operated by Houston-based Kinder Morgan, exported 1,247,406 st in January, up 86.6% from December but down 21.9% compared with the year-ago month.

 

Dominion Terminal Associates, which is owned by Arch Coal, Peabody Energy and Alpha Natural Resources, exported 1,164,804 st in January, up 7.8% from December but down 10.6% from the year-ago month.

 

Coal shipments to domestic US locations from the terminals in January totaled 120,961 st, down 26.9% from the previous month and down 48.4% year-on-year.

 

 

Source: Platts